Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention proposes new methods and facilities for moving payloads and people from one place to other. The author proposes using the aerodynamics and a new concept of cable motion and propulsion systems for this purpose.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, cars, trucks, trains, ships, and aircraft are used to deliver payloads from one place to other. This method is expensive and requires good highway systems and expensive vehicles which limits the feasibility of delivering many types of freight. Aircraft use expensive fuel and have high capital costs. The author offers a new, revolutionary method and installations for cheaper delivery of payloads and people (1) from one place to another, (2) across streams, rivers, canyons, etc., (3) accelerating vehicles to desired velocity, (4) changing the trajectory of connected vehicles, and (5) cheaper vehicles which do not require their own engine. The method uses a closed-loop cable path with the propulsion system located on the ground; the concept can include airlines. The proposed system is unique with no references found for similar systems in the literature or other patents.
The current proposal describes a unique transportation system (with a transfer system) for delivering loads and energy from one place to another. The main problem is delivery of energy to a moving transportation vehicle. Weight of an electric wire often is more than the weight of a load bearing cable. The other problem is the engine, which with the onboard fuel requirements, significantly decreases the payload capabilities of the vehicle. These problems are minimized in the proposed Transportation System by locating a motor on the ground and using a conventional energy source (heat, electricity, mechanical energy, wind energy, and water power, etc. and any fuel: gasoline, oil, coal, or waste material) to provide the power for moving the transport vehicles to their destination. Moreover the suggested transportation system can transfer large amounts of energy from one place to another on Earth (about of 3 to 10 Millions watt).
This invention would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of Mr. Glenn Gilyard, retired NASA scientist. The author wishes to acknowledge Mr. Gilyard""s help in editing and correcting my English and for his advice.
The method and facilities for movement of vehicles long distances are presented. The Method comprising the steps:
(a) connecting at least two main rollers: one in the port of departure and one in the port of arrival, by a series of closed-loop, light, strong cables (each referred to as a loop) located at least in one of following places: in the air, on the ground surface, on the water surface;
(b) supporting said cable with at least one of the following devices: wings, air balloons, columns, rollers;
(c) connecting at least one of said main rollers to an engine;
(d) running said engine;
(e) connecting at last one load vehicle to a point of said cable;
(f) delivering said vehicle in required point;
(g) accelerating said vehicle;
(h) disconnecting said vehicles from said cable;
(i) braking said vehicles.
An Installation using Method for movement of vehicles comprising: A set of rollers placed in the ports of departure, arrival, at points of direction change, and middle points; a light, strong, closed-loop cable (loops) connecting the ports of departure and arrival; engines placed near rollers and connected at least to one of said rollers; vehicles for transportation of people and loads; devices for connection and disconnection of the vehicles to the cable and placed on the vehicle.
The author also proposes 5 projects: an air bridge over the Straits of Gibraltar, Airline travel between city pairs of New York to Washington and New York to Paris, gas line for delivery of a natural gas, and a typical auto highway or city passenger delivery system.
Computations for these project show that the cable of some of them (for example, the Gibraltar Air Bridge and other Air Bridges, and ground vehicles) may be made from current industrial fibers. The long Airline pairs such as New York to Paris require stronger cable from whiskers, nanotubes or special cable design. The strong artificial material (fibers, filaments, whiskers, nanotubes) exists and has the ratio of tensile strength to density (specific gravity) up 2 million meters. For example, a whisker, with a ratio of 2.3 million meters, was created in early 1989 (the whisker, CD, has a tensile strength of H=8000 kg/mm2 and a density (specific gravity) of D=3.5 g/cm3). The theoretical limit of tensile strength is 10 times more. The modern nanotube (for example, carbon nanotube CNT) has a tensile strength of 200 Giga Pascals (20000 kg/sq.mm) and specific density of 1.8-2.2 g/cc.
The estimations and computations show the possibility of making these projects a reality in a short period of time (see attached projects) and are affordable.